NBA has Record Number of International Players for the 2016-17 Season

San Antonio Spurs player Tony Parker dribbles in the lane for France during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Photo: topbet.eu

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a record number of international players for the 2016-17 season. A total of 113 international players from a record 41 countries and territories are listed on the active and inactive player list for opening night rosters. Each of the 30 NBA teams have at least one international player.

Canada has the most international players in the NBA of any country with 11, followed by France (10 players), Brazil (9 players), Australia (8 players), and Croatia (5 players).

The Utah Jazz has the most international players of any NBA team with seven, while the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, and Toronto Raptors all feature six.

The NBA’s 71st season began on yesterday with the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the New York Knicks on TNT. The defending champions defeated the Knicks 117 to 88, with LeBron James recording his first triple-double of the season. The Cavaliers received their championship rings before the game and started this season in the right direction.

The second game featured the defending Western Conference Champions (Golden State Warriors) hosting the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena. Both of these teams made major headlines in the off-season with Golden State adding superstar Kevin Durant to the roster and Tim Duncan retiring from the Spurs after 19 seasons. Surprisingly, the Spurs defeated the Warriors 129 to 100, with Kawhi Leonard scoring a career high 35 points. The San Antonio Spurs have always been progressive in adding international players to their roster.

Here is a list of the current international players for the 2016-17 NBA Season:

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